In My Wildest Dreams
by nicfan7
Summary: Newcomer Ariana meets Nick and Sharon Newman, Michael Baldwin's childhood friend returns to town, and love, action, romance, adventure and heartbreak in Genoa City


"_**IN MY WILDEST DREAMS"**_

**  
Chapter 1 – Over The Wall**

It was early Monday morning. The air conditioning was running in the car as she drove down the highway. The sun was so hot on her trip down here that she didn't dare turn off the AC until she got to the realty office. She looked at the temperature reading in the car – it said 85 degrees. She slowed down, pulled off the highway into the realty office lot and got out of the car. She stopped and froze for a minute. The smell of the ocean called to her. She ran in to pick up her keys for the week. She couldn't wait. All that was standing between her and the beach house were a set of keys and the bridge that connected the Mainland to the Outer Banks.

She jumped back in the car, turned the AC off, opened the windows and headed over the bridge. After a quick stop at Food Lion on her way to the house, she finally reached her destination – 338 Ocean Runner Drive. She sat in the car for a minute, amazed that she was actually there. The plaque on the house, as is the Outer Banks' tradition, was "Fun In The Sun." She smiled at that. 'Let's get going,' she told herself and went in the house.

It was unlike anything Ariana Horton could have imagined. After walking through the front door, she didn't know which way to turn. She took two steps down, and she was on the first floor. There was a full bathroom, two bedrooms, a storage room, and a small living room. At the end of the living room was a sliding glass door, which led out to a gorgeous wooden deck. There was also a hot tub that was covered. The whole entire first floor was painted in pale blues and greens, and decorated with a nature and beach theme. She was stunned. If the first floor was this amazing, she couldn't imagine what the second floor looked like.

She turned around, went up the two steps, closed the front inside door and looked up the steps to the second floor. The entire staircase was made out of wood, including the railing. Halfway up the 10 steps, she stopped. Something caught her eye towards her right side. She looked above the front door and saw one of the most gorgeous, designer glass windows she had ever seen. It was a set of 3 windows and held two small stained glass plaques of seagulls.

She continued up the last few steps and into the kitchen, living room and dining room. The kitchen was bright and airy, with lots of windows. There was an island where she could cook while she watched tv. The dining room had a nice size table, enough for six people, and the living room held a sofa, a recliner and a loveseat, all in a blue and yellow plaid fabric. There was a cathedral ceiling. There was even a built-in bookcase and a place for the tv. Off the dining room was another sliding glass door, which led to the upper wooden deck with seven or eight lounge chairs.

She went down the short hall. There was a smaller bathroom off the living room, along with a closet. Immediately she came upon the master bedroom. What she saw took her breath away. It was decorated in pale blue, with a border of the beach at the top of the walls, pictures of the beach and a white comforter with huge pillows on the bed. The room had a big dresser and two small sets of drawers, along with an end table on each side of the bed. She walked around and took a look at the bathroom. It was just as beautiful. She saw one more set of sliding glass doors, which lead out to the other part of the deck.

It was a small house, compared to the other houses that surrounded it, but she loved it. She was lucky to get the house on a week's notice. It had everything a girl could want. She made quick work of unpacking her groceries and clothes. She changed into her bathing suit and cover-up, picked up a beach chair, sunscreen, her towel and headed to the beach.

Ariana hadn't been on the shore since she was a child. She vaguely remembered being on the beach in Texas – she must have been no more than 5 or 6, but all the memories she had were what family members told her. Those memories would soon be forgotten as she stepped onto the sandy beach.

It felt like silk on her feet through the sandals. She took off her sandals and walked barefoot. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so alive - the waves, the sea gulls, and the sound of the kids running on the beach. It was a whole new world for her, one that she couldn't wait to experience and enjoy. She walked towards the water. As she got closer, she saw that it was crystal clear and the water was the perfect temperature. 'This is heaven,' she thought.

Ari – as her friends and family sometimes called her – had just turned 30. She was five foot eight, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She was used to hearing people say she was the perfect California girl. She laughed at that -- if only they had any idea that she grew up in Dallas, Texas. She still had her Texan accent, even after being in Boston for six years. People were surprised to hear the accent, and they were intrigued by the girl with the Cali looks and the southern drawl.

It was in Boston that Ari found whom she thought was the love of her life. He came into her life like a whirlwind. She fell head over heels for him, against her better judgment. They moved in together after only a few months. She thought he felt the same way, until that fateful night a week ago. It changed her life in more ways than she could ever imagine.

She closed her eyes and thought back to that night. Ari arrived a little earlier at the house, hoping to get home before he did. She had a surprise up her sleeve and couldn't wait for him to arrive. Unfortunately, she was in for the shock of her life. She saw his car and another car in their driveway that she didn't recognize. Assuming it was one of his buddies that stopped by, she called out his name. She entered the house the way she always did. She expected him to answer as usual, or to say that they were in the kitchen grabbing a beer and would she like one. She walked into the kitchen and nearly fainted.

The next morning, she sprang into action. When her ex-boyfriend wasn't at home, she stopped at the house, picked up her things, put whatever small furniture was hers into her pickup truck and moved things to storage. She rented a room at the local hotel outside of Boston for a few days until she decided what to do. That was when she decided on traveling to the little town of Corolla, for some peace and quiet.

She pushed those thoughts away. She was trying to escape those memories, she said to herself. This was her time. Ari had given enough of her time to him from the day they met – she knew that he didn't deserve any more of it.

She settled in for the day and enjoyed the sun and sand. She was also careful not to get burned on her first day in the sun.

The heat of the summer sun was fading away. Ari walked towards the house. She was ready to unwind and find something for supper. It had been a fabulous summer day in the North Carolina sunshine. She loved the change from the hustle and bustle of Beantown. This was her first trip, and after being here for only a few hours, she had fallen in love with the town.

She never realized that she needed to jump over the wall to see the rest of the world. Too many things had gone wrong in the craziness of Boston -- things she couldn't fix no matter how much effort she made to change them. It was time to move on.

She walked up the front deck steps to the house, spread her towel out to dry, tossed off her flip flops and went inside. Ariana started wondering about her neighbors. She hadn't seen any of them yet, and she was hoping to run into some of them during her vacation.

She went into the kitchen, grabbed a snack and a glass of sangria. She took her cell phone, her I-pod and the portable speakers out onto the deck with her. She thought about giving her cousin a call, but she remembered that Hope was on duty at the station. She opened the sliding door, breathing in the cool ocean air. She sat outside in one of the lounge chairs beside the hot tub. The deck overlooked a small section of the beach. The sky was a gorgeous blue, not a cloud in sight. The temperature was about 75. The sound of the ocean was going to lull her to sleep tonight, and she couldn't wait.

Ariana hit play on her I-pod and shuffled the music. Kenny Chesney's song Old Blue Chair started playing. She closed her eyes and felt the cool breeze coming off the ocean.

A car pulled up to the house next door. It was around seven thirty pm. The couple got out, with a little baby girl in tow. The husband went to the front door, unlocked and opened it. He looked up at the name of the house and said to his wife, "our house is named 'Our Piece of Paradise.' Isn't that cool?"

"It's a great name, and a perfect place. I feel like we're in paradise," she replied back to him as she was getting her little girl and the car seat out of its holder in the car.

He went back to the car, trying to figure out where to start unloading. The trunk was filled with suitcases, baby things and toys. The wife and the little girl went into the house. The baby was only about 4 months old, with brown eyes and dirty blond hair. She was named Roxanne Morgana, Roxy for short.

"Nick, would you grab the diaper bag in the back seat for me?" his wife asked. Roxy was finally starting to wake up after being asleep for many hours.

Nicholas Newman came into the house with a couple of the suitcases along with the diaper bag. "Here you go, Sharon." He stopped, leaned down and kissed both his wife and his little girl. "After everything that happened in Genoa City this past year, my girls deserve a vacation." He smiled at Sharon and Roxy. Sharon smiled back at him, and their daughter giggled. He loved them so much.

Nick headed out to the car for more luggage, the crib and toys. His mind started to wander. A lot happened since they started working things out and making progress towards their reunion a year ago. Nick and Sharon had been married for many years before the death of their daughter, Cassie, almost five years ago that tore their marriage apart and eventually ended in divorce.

Nick felt awful for cheating on Sharon with Phyllis Abbott after Cassie died. Their marriage had been falling apart, and Phyllis had been more than happy to lend a shoulder for him to cry on. He pushed all the pain away and shut down. He left Sharon to deal with Cassie's death alone, which was wrong. His stubborn attitude and pride got in the way. He knew that he should have talked with Sharon, been honest with her about his feelings. He was still reeling from Cassie's death, and they started blaming each other. If only certain events hadn't taken place, they would have been able to work everything out.

At the time, Jack and Phyllis Abbott had been married to each other, but their marriage was breaking apart as well. Then Phyllis cheated on Jack, and their marriage ended. Time passed, Nick eventually married Phyllis, and they had a daughter, Summer. Sharon dated and eventually married Jack Abbott. 'Talk about a crazy turn of events,' Nick thought.

Then in the summer of 2008, Nick, Phyllis, Sharon and Jack decided to go into business together and launched a new magazine, Restless Style. Nick wasn't sure how things were going to work out since the four of them didn't get along. It worked for about a year or so, then things began to change and problems started to arise.

Now, Nick and Sharon ran Restless Style with his mother, Nikki Newman, as the editor. Nick was offered a job at his father's company, Newman Enterprises as the Chief Operating Officer and is still working there. He splits his time between Newman Enterprises and Restless Style, and he couldn't be happier.

His first love was his strongest and deepest love, where Nick and Sharon were concerned. It took Nick some time to truly understand it. He finally did and the road he travelled brought him back to his high school sweetheart.

Nick wasn't in love with Phyllis, the way he was with Sharon. He also realized that Phyllis still had feelings for Jack. They couldn't stay together in a loveless marriage and went their separate ways but not without some fighting. After the divorce was final, Phyllis and Jack reunited. Phyllis finally came clean and told Nick and Jack the truth about Summer - she was Jack's daughter and not Nick's. Nick said that he would still like to be a part of Summer's life, and both Phyllis and Jack were more than willing to allow that, for Summer's sake. Sharon was also supportive of his decision. Jack welcomed Summer and Phyllis back home with open arms. He also offered Phyllis a job at Jabot Cosmetics, and they couldn't be happier.

'Things happened for a reason,' Nick said to himself. Now, he couldn't imagine his life without Sharon in it. Ever since he found out she was pregnant with his baby a little over a year ago, he felt he had to do the right thing. His love for Sharon never died, and he felt they deserved to have a second chance. Sharon felt the same way. She had been close to saying that she still loved him many times before they reunited, but she didn't want to be the one to wreck his marriage. Nick knew that it was time to be with the one woman that he loved all his life.

Sharon and Nick remarried in a small ceremony a few months before Roxy was born. Nick knew it was time to get away from Genoa City and enjoy their time as a family. He started making plans about a month after Roxy was born. The Newmans never had a chance to take a vacation. It was Nick's idea to come down to the Outer Banks. Sharon would love it, and it would be here that he would spoil her.

Nick was very supportive of his parents. They had their problems and separated for a year or so. Victor was keeping company with his old friend and former flame, Ashley Abbott. He was never truly happy with Ashley, and he realized that she wasn't the woman for him. Nikki thought she loved her close friend Paul Williams. However after many attempts to deny her feelings, she accepted that she still loved Victor and wanted to be with him. After everything they had been through, they still loved each other. They worked out their differences and got back together. They went to the Justice of the Peace and remarried. Neither of them wanted a big splashy ceremony. They were happy with family and a few friends around them. Nothing stood in the way of true love, and he admired his parents.

While Nick was outside continuing to unload the car, Sharon thought about Noah and Cassie. Noah became more responsible in the last few months. He helped his parents with Roxy as much as he could, along with his schoolwork and part time job. He loved being a big brother, and he didn't take that lightly. He was getting better grades in school. In return, Nick and Sharon allowed him to see Eden again. They realized she was a good influence on him, and they liked her. After all, Michael and Lauren were taking good care of Michael's seventeen year old sister ever since their father, River left town. Noah was working during the summer. He wasn't able to take off with the family, so he was staying with Nikki and Victor until they got back home.

'Cassie would have loved the beach,' Sharon thought. Cassie used to talk about visiting the beach so much. Then the devastating accident with Daniel and Cassie happened - almost five years ago. She couldn't believe that five years has passed since she held Cassie in her arms. It didn't seem possible.

Her mind flashed back to the accident. Cassie lied to her parents and snuck out to a party. She found her friend (and Phyllis' son) Daniel unconscious. He had too much to drink. Cassie was only sixteen and without a license. But she wanted to be a good friend and get him home safely, so she took his keys and started on their way home. They got into a crash and were rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, neither one of them had a memory of the crash. Daniel was released from the hospital but Cassie needed to stay in the hospital. While she was there, she remembered that she was driving at the time of the accident. She left the hospital to look for him. She found him at the coffee shop Crimson Lights, but when she arrived, she collapsed and was rushed back to University Hospital. That trip to locate Daniel cost Cassie her life and contributed to the breakup of her parents.

Sharon pushed through her thoughts and brought herself back to the present. 'If she was here now, she would be so proud that we worked things out and are back together.' She looked at Roxy and spoke with such softness in her voice, more than usual. "Your older sister would be having the time of her life with you, little lady. I promise to tell you all about Cassie when you're a bit older. You look like her." Roxy smiled at her mom.

Nick returned with the rest of the items from the trunk. He offered to watch his daughter while Sharon started to unpack some of the things for the kitchen. He unfastened the car seat belt and picked up his young daughter. He changed her diaper, which didn't smell half bad, considering they were in the car for the last six hours. Afterwards, he smiled and played with Roxy.

Sharon glanced over at them from the kitchen. All of a sudden, she felt a wave of feeling rush over her, almost as if Cassie was standing there with her, watching Nick and Roxy. It brought to mind a dream that Sharon had when she was first pregnant. Cassie told her that there would be a little girl in their lives. She was right. On the day that Sharon told Nick that she was pregnant, Nick said that Cassie appeared to him in a dream as well, talking about a little girl. Sharon believed Cassie was watching out for them and her family.

Sharon made something small for Roxy's dinner. Then she got some food out for herself and Nick. She walked over to him, gave him Roxy's food, and got their dinner together. They were planning on spending a relaxing evening in after driving for two days from Wisconsin.

Back in Genoa City, Michael Baldwin was at his office desk looking over some files for a new case. His brother, Kevin Fisher was finally free. The charges against Kevin and Amber Moore had been dropped a year ago. Kevin and Amber were trying to rescue Katherine Chancellor and prove that she wasn't Marge, her lookalike. Everyone thought that Katherine was dead and that Marge was trying to take over Katherine's life. Eventually, Amber and Kevin were able to help prove that Katherine was indeed alive. Afterwards, Kevin went through a dark period in his life, but thanks to his friends, family and Katherine, he received the help he needed and made a full recovery.

Kevin and Jana were happy, and they were expecting a baby. That was a miracle. Jana had created a wonderful life for herself and Kevin. Michael was grateful and thankful that Kevin had a good wife. If someone had predicted all this a year ago, Michael wouldn't have believed it. 'Isn't it funny how life changes in a year,' he thought.

He thought about Lauren, his wife - the gorgeous redhead and the love of his life. They had gone through a lot to get where they were at, including several run-ins with Sheila Carter. Lauren was at home with Eden and their son, Fenmore. They were waiting for him to leave the office and get home for dinner. Michael picked up the phone and called home.

"Hello?" he heard the sexy voice say.

"Hi my love," Michael said. "I should be leaving the office in a few minutes. I'll be home shortly."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you. Fenmore misses his daddy, and Eden is awaiting your arrival. She has some news today," Lauren said.

"I'll be there soon. Love you. See you soon." He hung up.

Michael flipped through the latest law journal. On page five, there was an article about his oldest friend. The headline said, "_Dylan Mitchell, will wonders ever cease_." According to the article, Dylan saved his client, Marley Hudson from going to jail. She was accused of shooting her husband, Jake McKinnon. He sat and thought for a minute.

From what Michael remembered reading, Jake and Marley were married before, but they were forced to get a divorce. They got back together two years later and were supposed to get married again. However, Marley found out that Jake was having an affair with Paulina Cory at the same time he asked Marley to be his wife. Marley found out and couldn't marry him, and when she turned down his proposal, he raped her. Jake was shot and was close to dying. All the evidence was pointing towards Marley, so she went on trial for his attempted murder. It finally came out in the end that Paulina shot Jake.

Michael picked up the magazine again. There were a couple of pictures of Dylan and one of his old colleagues. The first picture was one of Dylan and another associate at the law firm. Michael looked at the photo. It was taken about four years ago. He recognized the name. Her name was Alexis Davis. She was a well-known and well-respected attorney. If memory served him correctly, Alexis left the firm about two years ago and was now the District Attorney in a town in upstate New York.

The second picture was Dylan along with his boss, Cass Winthrop, one of the Partners at his current firm, Winthrop & Montgomery. "_He discovered the last-minute evidence to prove that Ms. Hudson didn't commit the crime. We are proud of him_."

Michael and Dylan grew up together in Green Bay, not far from Genoa City. They had done everything together, from playing video games to tag football, double dating with the girls they were interested in, to entering the same law school together. They were at the same law firm for years after passing the Wisconsin state bar exam -- Whitman, Walker, and Wilson. Michael and Dylan left there about the same time.

Michael became partners with Paul Williams, Michael's close friend and a Private Investigator, at Baldwin & Williams. After some time, they dissolved the partnership. Now he was a Partner at Baldwin, Blair, and Associates. His partner, Christine Blair, had taken a break from practicing law. While she was gone, Michael took on as much work as possible to keep the business going. 'If my family stayed out of trouble, it would be easier to handle the workload,' he thought. He was slowly getting to the point that he wanted to hire another attorney to help him out until Christine came back to work.

Dylan, on the other hand, became a city boy. He left Whitman, Walker, and Wilson after five years and set his sights on Illinois. He wanted to move to Chicago, but he was interviewed at a firm outside Chicago that was more appealing. He moved to Bay City and joined the law firm of Winthrop & Montgomery. He worked his way up the ranks and was close to being promoted to a Partner. Michael tried his best to keep up with his best friend. He hadn't heard from Dylan in a couple of months. 'I should call him one of these days.' Suddenly, he realized the time on the clock said it was almost 7 pm. That got Michael's attention. He packed up for the night, shut his computer down, turned off the lights and headed home.

In his apartment in Bay City, Dylan Mitchell finished dinner and cleaned up. He took his drink and went outside on the balcony. The city was still fascinating, even after being there for five years. He dated various women, even had a few second dates with some of them, but no one fit the description of the girl he was looking to find. The fact that he threw himself headfirst into his job didn't help matters at all. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened had he stayed in Genoa City. Would he be married with kids? He smiled at that thought. Maybe someday…

Dylan was tall, with brown hair and green eyes. He was 34. He was an accomplished attorney at one of the biggest firms in Bay City. His parents still lived in Wisconsin, and his sister lived in Los Angeles. She was a city girl in her heart, and Dylan knew that she had to chase her dreams. She met and married a wonderful man, and they had a little boy and girl. She was very lucky. There were times when he wondered if he would be that lucky to meet a smart, sensitive, loving woman.

He stared out in the skyline. He was living the life that he'd dreamed of, being in the big city, and enjoying what life had to offer. He fought his way up the ladder at the law firm and was waiting for that big promotion to come through. He sat down on the terrace and took a deep breath and thought about the outcome of his case. He dug deep enough to uncover the newest evidence to prove that Marley was innocent. She wasn't the one that shot Jake. Never in a million years, though, did Dylan think the shooter was Paulina Cory. It was disappointing because he had come to know her and her family pretty well.

He turned his attention back to the present. Now that his big case was over, maybe it was time to take some time off and visit his parents back home. He hadn't been home in about eight months, and it seemed like the right thing to do. Besides, Cass gave him two weeks off for the great job he did. Dylan picked up the phone and called home. When no one answered, he left a message. "Hi, Mom and Dad. I'm calling to check in and was thinking of coming home for a visit next week. Give me a call as soon as you can. Look forward to seeing you both soon. Bye."

He hung up. He went back inside and threw on the baseball game. The Chicago White Sox were playing. Not exactly Dylan's favorite team, but since he couldn't see the Milwaukee Brewers, he had to settle for the Sox. The Sox were beating the Philadelphia Phillies by a score of 5-1. He put the remote down, pulled out his laptop, and got to work on finding a flight home.

Something caught Dylan's attention, and he looked outside the sliding door. It was a full moon. It was a sight that he didn't get to see too often, mostly because he was always stuck in his office working on a case.

Back in Corolla, Ariana was looking at that very same moon. She thought she heard her neighbors coming in earlier, and she wanted to go over to say hello to them. However, she figured they were tired from driving from wherever they were from. Plus it was time for Ari to get out of the bathing suit, and into her shorts and tank top for the night. She decided to settle into her room early. She left the window open and fell asleep to the sound of the Atlantic Ocean.

Michael walked into their apartment. Eden, Fenmore and Lauren were sitting around playing a game together. He couldn't think of a better way to spend his night.

"Michael, I have some good news," Eden said, as she looked up and saw him.

"Daddy," said Fenmore. Michael went over to Lauren, kissed her, and hugged Fenmore.

"Eden, what's your news? I'm dying to know."

"Noah's grandfather, Mr. Newman offered me an intern position at his company. Apparently Noah has been telling his grandfather that I'm interested in the business field and would love to study it in college. When I went to visit Noah tonight, Mr. Newman asked me if I was interested. I said yes." She was so excited that she almost floated on air.

Michael went over to her and gave her a hug. "I'm very proud of you. There are not many people that Victor would offer an internship to. What an incredible opportunity."

"Thanks!"

"When do you start?" Michael asked.

"In a few days. Mr. Newman needs me to fill out some paperwork and then I'll be all set. I'm so excited. Well, I'm off to bed now. I couldn't wait for you come home to tell you." She took her little nephew's hand. "Come on, Fenmore, I'll put you to bed. Mommy and Daddy will come and tuck you in."

Lauren gave Eden a smile as a thank you. Michael and Lauren barely had any time for themselves, and Eden understood that. Michael put his arms around Lauren, and he hugged tight as they sat on the sofa for a few minutes. Once Eden got Fenmore into bed, they went in and said goodnight.

Afterwards, they sat down on the sofa, kicked back and enjoyed spending time alone. They looked out at the same moon that Ariana saw in Corolla, and that Dylan saw in Bay City.

It was Tuesday morning. Sharon woke up feeling fully refreshed from a good night's sleep. Roxy was still sleeping in her room, and Nick was sitting out on the deck. Sharon poured herself a cup of coffee, grabbed the baby monitor and headed outside. She went over to Nick, put her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Good morning."

"Morning, Sharon. How did you sleep last night? I didn't hear you stir once."

"I slept amazingly well. The house is perfect, and I love it. Thank you so much for bringing us here. This was the best present I could have received. I love you so much."

"I love you too," Nick said, as he kissed her. "What would you like to do today?"

"I'd love to take a walk on the beach. It looks so inviting. Would you mind watching Roxy?"

"Go ahead and enjoy it." Nick smiled at her. "The beach looks pretty quiet now. In a few hours, I'm sure it will be crowded with people. By the time you get back, Roxy will be up, fed and changed. Then we can find some place to shop and get some souvenirs. How does that sound?"

"It sounds absolutely perfect. I'm going to get my sandals." She opened the sliding door to their bedroom, grabbed the sandals, a towel, her hat and cell phone. "If you need me, I have my cell phone. See you in about an hour."

"Don't rush back, take your time. I've got it under control," Nick said. "Enjoy your walk."

Sharon walked down the steps and out to the beach. From where Nick sat, he was able to watch her walk to the edge of the beach. Sometimes he wondered how he got so lucky, and smiled to himself. Then she disappeared from his sight. He heard a cry on the monitor from Roxy's room and went to check on his little girl.

In the house next door, Ariana was already up. She slept so soundly that she didn't need an alarm clock to wake her up. She felt so awake when she opened her eyes, she didn't care that it was 7:30. It was wonderful to hear the sound of the ocean and not the traffic that she usually heard outside her house in Boston. After her morning coffee and muffin, she got dressed in her shorts and t-shirt. She grabbed the chair and her beach towel. She got her straw bag, tossed in a couple of pens, a notebook, sunscreen, her cell phone, the keys and headed down to the beach.

The roar of the waves made her smile as she slowly made her way towards them. She opened up her chair, sat down, and pulled out her pen and paper. The sand was cool on her feet. She would much rather sit out early before the crowds came in. It was her time to relax and enjoy the view.

Ari opened the notebook. It was a short story. She wrote poetry that was published in the paper but she was trying her hand at a story. She planned on pitching it to her boss at the literary paper. That was the plan before everything changed course. Now she wrote the story for herself, not worrying about deadlines, timeframes, and bosses. She finally felt free to write however and whenever she wanted to.

She was concentrating so intently on what she was writing , she didn't even notice that a woman had walked up next to her.

"Hi there," the woman said, standing in shorts, a tank and sandals, with her long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was carrying a beach towel.

Ariana looked up from her notebook and smiled. "Hi. I'm sorry I didn't hear you. How's it going?"

"Not bad. I see that I'm not the only one who loves being out here without the crowd." She smiled back.

"Yes, it's very peaceful. Would you like to sit down?"

"Thank you, I'd like that." The woman spread out her beach towel and sat down. "My name is Sharon. It's nice to meet you." Sharon offered her hand to the young woman.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sharon. My name is Ariana." She shook Sharon's hand. "What brings you here?"

"My husband brought our family here for a vacation. We've been through a lot in the last few years, and he thought it would be nice to spend some time together. Our love has helped us through some tough times."

"I'm sorry to hear that you had some problems. Maybe certain things were meant to happen, in order to bring both of you closer to each other." Ariana felt so comfortable talking to Sharon.

Sharon thought for a moment and smiled. She was enjoying talking with Ariana. "I suppose you're right. When you're going through something, it's hard to maintain that perspective. Thanks. I appreciate it. Nick and I lost our oldest daughter five years ago."

"That's so sad. I'm sorry."

"Thank you. It was a tragic accident, one that tore Nick and I apart. We had a son who was only nine or ten when Cassie died. I tried to hold the marriage together, but Nick shut down, and we divorced. He met and married someone else, and so did I. But our love was too strong, and we found our way back to each other last year. Our daughter, Roxy is a blessing. She gave us a second chance at being a family and raising another little girl."

"She sounds amazing. Cassie sounded like a wonderful young lady. It's never easy losing someone you love."

"No, it's not." Sharon paused for a minute. "How did you end up here, Ariana? Are you here to enjoy the beautiful town as well?"

Ariana shook her head. "Unfortunately, that's not the case. My boyfriend and I have been living together for about 3 months, and I thought I loved him. Last week, I arrived home a little early, determined to surprise him. In the end, I was the one who was hurt. I couldn't wait to leave Boston and start over somewhere else. I came down here to clear my head and plan where to go next."

She gave Ari a very sympathetic look. "That's so awful. You don't have to tell me. It's the things that take us by complete surprise, and we're never sure of how to handle it. I'm around if you want to talk."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me."

"What are you writing?" Sharon asked with genuine interest.

"I started a short story. I used to work at a literary paper. I was hoping to present it to my boss when it was complete but when I left Boston, my desire to write stopped. It wasn't until this morning that I felt like writing again."

"Don't rush the writing. It will come when you least expect it. I was thinking, if you'd like to come by for dinner tonight with Nick, Roxy and myself, we would love to have you join us. Where are you staying?"

"Thanks, Sharon. That would be great. I'm only a couple of houses away. I'm in one of the smaller houses, 338 Ocean Runner Drive."

Sharon had this look of disbelief on her face. "It must be fate," she smiled.

"Why?"

"We are staying right next door, at 340."

They both laughed. "That's really cool. I heard you guys pull up last night. I was thinking about coming over to introduce myself but I figured you would be tired from driving. I'm glad that we finally got to meet."

"Me too, Ariana."

"Please, call me Ari."

"Ok, that's a promise. Dinner is at 5."

"Sounds great. See you then."

Sharon got up and folded up her towel. "Bye, Ari."

"Bye, Sharon."

Ariana stared out at the ocean as Sharon walked away. This trip was just the thing she needed to start over again. She was going to enjoy spending time with her new friends. Once the week was over, she would concentrate on figuring out what to do with the rest of her life. Ariana started writing again.

Sharon arrived home and went in the house. Nick and Roxy were waiting for her, and as promised, Roxy was fed and dressed. "Hey, how was your walk?"

"It was wonderful, Nick. I enjoyed it. I met a nice girl on the way back. Her name is Ariana. I invited her to dinner tonight. She is renting the house next door to us."

"That's cool. It's a good way to get to know our neighbor. Do we need to go food shopping for dinner?"

"No, I can whip up something easy for tonight. What do you feel like doing today?" She turned and kissed Roxy.

"Let's go to the park, we can walk around. Afterwards, we can do some souvenir shopping."

"Sounds like a good idea." With that, they got ready and headed out for the afternoon.

Ariana spent most of the day on the beach doing some writing. She ran back home to grab something for lunch, but immediately went back to her chair and writing. She felt inspired to write again. The talk with Sharon did wonders.

In the meantime, Michael was working in his office. He picked up the phone, dialed his best friend's number and waited for the connection to go through.

"Hello?"

"Dylan, it's Michael. Long time, no speak."

"Hey buddy, what's going on? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Everything is well out here. I was flipping through the weekly law journal last night and came across the article on the Hudson trial. You did an excellent job."

"Thanks. It was a tough case. It seems like it ended more than just a week ago. All the evidence pointed towards Marley, but something didn't feel right. I wasn't giving up on her innocence."

"You followed your gut. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, I had a good teacher," Dylan replied.

"You're welcome. What are you up to next?"

"I'm planning on coming home to see my parents. I figured it was time now that the trial is over. Plus I would love to see you and the family. How is everyone?"

"They're doing great. Fen's is getting big."

"I can imagine. The last time I saw you guys, he was only a few months old. My parents told me that you have a sister, and she's staying with you and Lauren. How did that happen?"

"Well," Michael started, "it's a long story. I'll fill you in on it when you get back. The shortened version is that my father showed up, and I found out I had a sister that I never knew. He disappeared and left Eden here with us. She is a great kid….teenager, I mean."

Dylan chuckled. He remembered when his parents called him a kid when he was a teen. "I can't wait to hear the story. Glad to hear you have another sibling."

"Lauren says she's a big help with Fen, too. We love having her around. When are you coming back?"

"I'm making the arrangements now. I'm flying in on Saturday."

"Awesome, I look forward to seeing you," Michael said.

"See you after I get settled in. Talk to you later. Bye," Dylan said.

"Bye," Michael said, and they hung up.

It was around 4 pm. The Newmans were back at the beach house. Sharon was getting dinner started. Nick was watching tv while Roxy was in her playpen. They spent a wonderful afternoon shopping and relaxing. Sharon bought a couple of things for her sister-in-law, Victoria, Victoria's husband, JT and their son, Reed. She saw a baseball cap that she thought Noah would love, a book for Eden, a special anniversary present for Nick's parents, and she found a figurine angel for her mother, Doris as well. Her mom played a part in their reunion as well. She told Sharon to follow her heart and trust her instincts. Sharon is glad that she did.

In the meantime, Ariana was getting ready next door. She showered and put on a tank, a pair of shorts, pulled her hair into a ponytail and threw on her flip flops. She looked at the pages she wrote today and was amazed at how much she wrote during one day at the beach. Even when the crowds started to arrive, she didn't feel like leaving. It was time she enjoyed being around people and letting her guard slowly down again.

She thought back to the conversation with Sharon. She was very nice. For some reason, Ari had the feeling that she met Sharon or knew her from someplace before. After one last check with her hair, she grabbed the keys to the house, a cake plate that she had filled with homemade muffins that she spent a little of the afternoon baking, and her cell phone. It was a few minutes before 5.

As Ariana was leaving the house, Nick helped Sharon finish up dinner. He set the table and got drinks ready. Roxy's diaper was changed. While things were cooking, Sharon fed Roxy her dinner. Normally, Roxy was a little fussy eating, but tonight she ate without a problem. That made Sharon very happy. Sharon and Nick were enjoying a few minutes together sitting on the sofa when the doorbell rang.

Nick got up and went to the door. "Hello, you must be Ariana. Please come in." He stepped back to allow her to come into the house. "It's really nice to meet you." He shook her hand.

"Hi Nick. It's nice to meet you, too," she said as she stepped inside. They walked from the front door into the kitchen. Ari took a deep breath and smelled something wonderful. "Dinner smells amazing, Sharon." Sharon was in the kitchen checking on dinner.

Ariana handed a cake plate filled with apple strudel muffins to Sharon for dessert. Being from the south, Ariana's mother always taught her good manners and not to go empty handed to someone's house.

"Ari, you didn't have to bring anything," Sharon said. "Thank you, it was very sweet of you."

"You're welcome. They are apple muffins for dessert."

Sharon opened up a corner of the wrapping and smelled them. "I can't wait for dessert then." Sharon and Ariana laughed.

"Thanks. Please sit down. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Relax. This is our daughter."

Ariana went over to the playpen. "Hi Roxy. What a nice house. I was wondering what some of the other houses looked like." From what Ariana could see, it was similar to her house, but it had three bedrooms instead of the two that she had. She could imagine that all the houses in town had a beach or nautical theme to them. It was fascinating.

"I couldn't resist renting the house when I saw it online. It looked awesome. It's even better in person. It was nice of you to join us for dinner tonight," Nick said.

"Roxy is very beautiful, Sharon."

"Would you like to play with her for a while?" Sharon asked.

"I would love that. Thanks so much." Ariana picked up Roxy and sat down on the floor and played with her. "You are so adorable. No wonder your mom couldn't stop talking about you." Roxy smiled at her and spoke a couple of words.

"What would you like to drink, Ariana? We have pop, water, wine cooler, anything that you want. Just let me know," Nick said.

"Hmm. I'll take water now but I'd love to have a wine cooler with dinner."

Nick smiled. She was so good with Roxy. "No problem, I'll be right back." He got her drink and handed it to her. "You're a natural with her. Do you have any nieces or nephews?"

"My brother and sister-in-law have two kids, a boy and a girl. They live in Dallas. I don't get to see them too much."

"Where do you live?"

"I was in Boston for six years. I found a great opportunity, and as hard as it was to leave Dallas, I felt it was the right thing to do. My grandmother and my other relatives live in a small Midwestern town where I was born. My parents, my brother and I moved from there when I was about ten and he was eight, so I've spent most of my life in Dallas."

"You've been all over the map, so to speak, Ariana. Where would you like to end up some day?" Nick asked sincerely.

"I'm not really sure. I had a few things happen in Boston in the last week or so, which is why I came down here. I wanted to take some time to clear my head and do some thinking. I'm trying to figure out where I'd like to go next. I really love the small town feel of Corolla. It's so different from my life up North."

"Between you and me, I love it down here, too. I knew that Sharon and Roxy would as well. It also gave us a chance to make a new friend."

Ariana smiled. She thought to herself, 'Sharon is very lucky. Nick is a wonderful guy. I see why they were destined to be together.'

Sharon interrupted Ariana's thoughts. "Dinner is ready."

"Do you need any help?" Ari asked.

"No, but thanks for asking. Make yourself at home," Sharon replied.

While Ariana settled in at the table, Nick got Roxy in her chair, and Sharon put the food on the table. Sharon made chicken, rice, vegetables and a salad. They enjoyed dinner and talked about a lot of things. Everything was excellent, and Ariana complimented Sharon.

"Everything was wonderful. I enjoyed it so much. Thank you for inviting me, it was really nice."

"You're welcome, Ari. Did you get any writing done today?" Sharon asked. Nick and Sharon exchanged glances but Ariana was looking at Roxy and didn't notice. Sharon winked at Nick, and he smiled back at her. They would talk about it later. Nick knew the signal from Sharon.

"Yes, I did. In fact, today was the first day in a few months that I felt free to write. I was inspired after our talk this morning; you really helped me. I had some good ideas and once I got on a roll, it was pretty hard to stop."

"Good, that's so nice to hear. I would love to read what you've written one day while we're still here. If you'd like to share it, that is," Sharon said.

"Definitely. I'd love that too. Give me a day or two, and I'll be ready to share. I want to clean it up a little bit first."

"No problem."

"Let me clean up the table while you ladies visit," Nick said to the women. "Go relax and enjoy yourselves. Once things are cleaned up, then we'll be ready for dessert."

Sharon got up and gave Nick a kiss. She picked up Roxy while Ariana got up as well. They went over to the sofa, sat down and talked some more.

While Nick was cleaning up the dishes, he watched Sharon and Ariana. There was something that he really liked about their new friend. She had been hurt, he could see it in her eyes, and she would never be the same. Sharon and Ariana were starting to bond, and Nick thought that was great for Sharon. She could use a good friend. Suddenly, Nick got an idea, but he would share it with Sharon later once they were alone.

"Anyone care for dessert?" Nick said as he put away the last of the dishes.

"I'm ready," Sharon said as she laughed. "I'm going to put some water on. Ari, would you like coffee or tea?"

"I'm a tea girl, never been a big fan of coffee."

"No problem. Nick, would you like coffee?"

"No, I'll have some tea tonight with you and Ariana." Nick picked up the plate of muffins that Ariana brought to the house while Sharon got the tea ready. Within a few minutes, they were sitting at the table, enjoying dessert.

"Ariana, these are amazing," Sharon said. "Would you mind sharing the recipe?"

"Not at all. I'll write it down for you and give it to you tomorrow. How does that sound?"

"That works for me. Bagels and omelettes become boring for breakfast after a while."

Nick asked Ariana to stay and watch a movie with them. She sat and relaxed while they watched "_A Night In The Museum_." Roxy had fallen asleep, and Nick put her to bed. It was a great movie, and the three of them laughed so much. Ari couldn't remember the last time she laughed this much. When the movie was over, Nick said goodnight to Ariana. "Hope to see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you then. Goodnight, Nick."

"Sharon, take your time." He smiled and kissed her and left the room.

"He is an amazing guy, Sharon. You are a lucky woman."

"Thanks. I think he's pretty incredible, too."

Ariana looked at the time and realized it was almost 11 pm. "I didn't realize how late it was. I'm going to let you and Nick get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. If you don't have any plans for lunch, you're more than welcome to come and join me. Give me a call in the morning." Ariana gave Sharon the house number.

"I'll call you in the morning. Sleep well, Ari. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sharon, and thanks for everything." Ariana walked out of the front door, over to the steps to her own door, and went inside.

She thought about the night. It was fun and amazing. She was very lucky to find some really nice neighbors. Ari went in her room, changed, opened the window in the bedroom, and stretched out on the bed. She fell asleep in no time and didn't have a care in the world.

As Ariana was falling asleep, Nick and Sharon were talking next door. "I saw your eyes light up the minute I mentioned Ari and her writing, Nick. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You know me too well. Yes, she would be a perfect addition to the magazine. After you read her writing, please let me know what you think. I would love to offer her a job. I hope that she'll take it and make a new start in Genoa City."

"Me too. She has been hurt, I can tell, but she hasn't told me her whole story. It would be nice to have a new friend in town. If her writing is half as wonderful as she is, I'll hire her on the spot."

"If that's what you want, then do it. You're a good businesswoman. I think we should get some sleep. Goodnight, Sharon. I love you." He hugged and kissed her.

"Goodnight, Nick. Love you too." They cuddled on the bed and fell asleep.


End file.
